cut sign
v. phr.—Gloss: To track someone by their trail marks. Note: Used inside the US Customs and Border Protection, which patrols the United States border. «He knew that the coyotes who led groups of undocumented workers, as well as the aliens who were without a guide, followed various favorite trails through the rough and diverse terrain. He had to keep on top of those trails and know when they abaondoned one for another. Noe learned their habits from sign cutting, then used his knowledge against them. “You watch the carefully,” he said in his classroom voice. “You have to be willing to cut sign.”» —by Robert Lee Maril Patrolling Chaos , 2004. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
The expression to go chalk has to do with rankings in an athletic tournament and harks back to when seeded teams or players were listed on a chalkboard. To pick chalk means to choose one’s favorite competitor, and you can also speak of a chalk...
When describing shoes, which is correct: close-toe, close-toed, or closed-toe? And what about forms of footwear that leave those pedal digits exposed? Open-toe shoes? Open-toed shoes? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Close...